Chapter Text
“Enid, baby how are you?”
“Lindy, it’s always good to hear from you,”
Enid Watts placed her tea back on her coffee table and held her phone closer to her ear.
She made a face as she tried to fiddle with the volume controls on her smart-phone. Technology was supposed to make things easier, but if you asked Enid, things were just as difficult as they had always been.
“Hold on, Lindy-Baby. You’re breaking up,”
On the other end, Lindy laughed.
“Girl are you having trouble with that phone again,”
Enid chuckled, “Yeah you know it. Can’t get the damn thing to get louder...”
“Have that boy fix it for you? What’s his name, David?”
“Dennis,” Enid frowned just a little and then sighed, “He don’t live here no more, girl. I dun-told you this already,”
“I’m old, baby,”
Enid chuckled again and shook her head. “Ain’t we both,” she said, giving up on trying to fix the volume. “How’d your doctor’s appointment go?”
“ ‘Bout as helpful as a hole in my head, girl. Dr. Amira can’t find nothing wrong with me,”
Enid rolled her eyes, “Besides the normal stuff?”
“Besides the normal stuff-,”
Enid grinned, knowing that Lindy was probably glaring her down on the other end of the phone.
“The headaches get bad at night. Like a buzzing. It get especially bad when it’s loud or around lots of people. Yesterday I was with the others eating lunch and Debbie-you know her- she was talking so damn loud at the table next to me. My Lord, I was hoping and praying that woman would shut up. She kept running her mouth and my head was throbbing,” Lindy explained. There was a moment of silence as Enid waited for her friend to continue, “You know, but then the headache just went away-,”
“-So whatchu’ complainin’ ‘bout?”
“-I ain’t complaining you old bat...But it was the strangest thing. Debbie all-a-sudden just shut up. Mid-sentence and that woman just stop talking. She ain’t never done that before,”
Cackling, Enid replied, “Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,”
Lindy on the other side made an unsure sound. “Ion’ know what’s going on. I’mma just keep taking my medication for the headaches,”
Enid hummed, “Well you let me know how you feel okay? It don’t matter what time, you call me,”
“Thanks baby,”
“Of course Lindy,”
“Hey girl I gotta go, the nurse just told me I got a visitor,”
“Who?”
“Probably another person from the news. Want an ex-clu-sive interview from me. Again,”
Enid made a disgusted sound, “You tell ‘em off, girl,”
“Oh you damn right,”
The old women laughed. They exchanged goodbyes one last time. Enid hung up first, going back to whatever program she had on the TV.
On the other end, from the retirement home she now lived, Lindy hung up the public phone. She rose from her seat and followed the nurse to a private visiting area.
“If it’s that lady from that trash network again-,” Lindy started.
The nurse snorted, cutting her off, “Don’t worry, this one’s legit. She’s from some hospital from the north side,”
Lindy rose an eyebrow, “Oh really?”
“Yeah. She said she actually evaluated your son,”
Lindy stopped dead in her tracks. “My-my son?”
The nurse gestured to the private room then opened the door. They pointed inside, “Have a seat, Lind,”
Lindy took a deep breath and slowly walked into the room.
On a small, leather arm chair, a younger woman with auburn hair and a casual and conservative ensemble sat. She smiled tightly at Lindy.
“Dr. Staple...so nice to see you again,” Lindy mumbled.
“Ms. Price, likewise,"
Casey had heard Joseph’s voice just outside her door.
She glanced over at her room and heard Ian and Mary still in there. For a second, she had thought about going in, but she had wanted to talk to Joseph first. She peered through the peep hole of her door before she went out and saw Joseph smiling at Alyssa. The two had talked a little longer than Casey was expecting.
She decided to cut the fun short and opened the door, interrupting Joseph and Alyssa.
“-So I’ll see you- oh. Hey Casey,”
Casey smiled and waved back at her neighbor, “Sorry, I need to borrow him,”
Joseph nodded, “I’ll see you later,”
Alyssa smiled back and waved.
Alyssa was in her apartment before Joseph looked over at Casey who looked smug.
“Oh, what?”
Casey said nothing and still smirked.
“Case, stop being weird,”
She pursed her lips, barely able to contain herself and let Joseph into the apartment.
“I won’t talk about it if you won’t,” Casey said as Joseph sat down on her couch.
“Good, ‘cause I won’t,”
Getting serious, Casey looked at Joseph and tilted her head to the side, “So what’s up?”
“That Laura- Whatever, wants to do another interview,”
“And you told her it’s not gonna happen?”
“Of course. That’d be insane,” Joseph said, “We’re already at risk with Staple finding us now that I’ve been on TV,”
Casey nodded.
“I guess it’s better that I leave soon, then,” Joseph said.
Casey felt herself stiffen. She bit her lip, trying to find something insightful to say. When she couldn’t, she shrugged and ran a hand over her hair. “Okay. If you’re ready to go, tell me what you want to do and we can-,”
“Casey-,” Hedwig whined.
She raised her eyebrow as Hedwig stumbled out of her bedroom. Casey made a face and put her hands on her hips.
“What’s up, Bud?” asked Joseph.
“I’m bored,”
Casey tossed Hedwig the remote, which he failed to catch and tried to play it off. “Watch some TV,” Casey said.
Hedwig surfed mindlessly through the channels as Casey and Joseph spoke.
“-leave tonight-,”
“-what if someone’s at the shop-,”
“-I’ll mail you your phone-,”
“-When can I come back to see you?-,”
Bits and pieces of the conversation reached Hedwig’s ears. He had only half processed the conversation, he’d only half comprehended what was going on.
All he knew was that the adults were speaking. So he stayed out of it. That’s what he was taught. And Patricia always said he was a smart boy, so of course he’d use the things people taught him.
“Heggie,”
“Yeah Kevin?”
Hedwig’s eyes grew wide.
“Kevin?”, the young boy gasped. Hedwig turned in his chair in the direction of Kevin’s voice. The young boy’s eyes grew wide with equal amounts of fear and awe.
He hadn’t seen Kevin since Kevin himself was young. Back then the boys had been inseparable, that was until Dennis decided that Kevin was getting too old to play games and sequestered Hedwig into his chair.
“I thought you were asleep,”
“I was. But I’m awake now...part of me is anyways. I’ve been listening to you for a long time, Hedwig,”
Hedwig shrunk back into his seat. His grip on the light waived. “How long?”
“Long enough to know you were doing some bad stuff with Patricia,”
“I’m sorr-,”
“It’s okay, Heggie. I know why you did it,”
“The others-,”
Kevin pressed his finger to his lips. “They can’t hear me or see me right now, I’m hiding from them,”
Hedwig made a face. “Why Kevin,”
“It’s a secret. Right now though, only you can see and hear me,”
Hedwig’s face brightened, “So like, you’re kinda like my imaginary friend now,” Hedwig asked, referencing the game he and Kevin used to play before either of them knew what they were.
Kevin allowed himself a small smile and nodded, “Yeah that’s right, Hedwig,”
“Oh cool-,”
“-Totally, but look, if you want me to stick around, I need you to help me,”
The young boy shrugged, “Okay? What is it?”
“Casey and Joseph are splitting up-,”
“What?” Hedwig squealed.
“Not too loud,” Kevin warned, trying to quiet the boy.
“Sorry. What?” Hedwig tried, lowering his voice.
“Joseph’s gonna go back home for who knows how long,” Kevin explained, “And that’s really bad, who’s gonna show you how to play Fortnite or call you ‘Bud’?”
Hedwig shrunk back in his chair.
“And Casey-,” Kevin continued, “She’s gonna be so sad that he’s gone,”
“Casey’s gonna be sad?”
“Super sad,” Kevin confirmed, “That’s why you gotta get him to stay,”
“Why can’t Casey do it,”
Kevin sighed, “Adults are mega-weird, Heggie. They never just tell you what they want, but you’re not weird right?”
“Nah, I’m frickin’ c-cool,” Hedwig squeaked.
At that, Kevin wholeheartedly smiled. Here he was, his whole childhood, his innocence, his naivety, his joy, his love. Kevin knelt beside Hedwig and took a good look at the boy. Hedwig was not Kevin at nine years old, rather, Hedwig was a boy with a too-big forehead and big brown eyes like the cutest dog that ever lived. He was everything Kevin had wished to be at that age.
“You need to keep Joseph and Casey together, because we’re all friends,” Kevin said, “We need each other,”
Invigored by the responsibility bestowed upon him, Hedwig nodded. Kevin knew then that the boy would try everything and anything to keep Joseph in town for just a little longer, even it meant he’d have to cause some trouble.
Kevin’s face fell just a little as he remembered what kind of trouble Hedwig used to be...
“What do you want Dr. Staple,”
“I wanted to see how you were doing in light of the events of of Ravenhill,”
Lindy fixed Dr. Staple a haughty glare, “About five years late on that,”
Staple smiled tightly once more, “Well, better late than never,”
“No, I don’t think so,”
Staple crossed her legs, smoothing down her skirt as she did so, “Elijah was an extraordinary man-,”
“-If you wouldn’t mind, I’d very much like to keep my boy’s name out of your mouth,”
Ellie Staple pursed her lips, “I understand you’re still very sore-,”
“My son is dead...because of you-,”
“-Your son is dead because of his own actions,” Staple corrected, “I was trying to put a stop to his endeavors. But because you, that girl, and David Dunn’s son had to meddle in my work, your son was able to unleash them all on the world,”
Lindy’s lips rolled into a thin, hard line.
Staple cleared her throat, “I wanted to help them. All of them. I had almost succeeded too. If I had been able to just convince them that they were mentally ill, none of that would have transpired. Your son would still be here today,” Staple asserted.
“So then why are you here, it’s not just to gloat, is it?” Asked Lindy.
Staple shook her head, “My job is to help gifted individuals. I believe you can help me find them,”
“What makes you think I’m gonna do that?”
“I think you’ll see I can be quite convincing,”
“Jesus Christ! Hedwig-!,” Casey shouted as walked into the bathroom.
“M’sorry, Casey-,”
Joseph had run up behind Casey, “What’s- oh, dude,”
Dennis would surely give Hedwig a good scolding if he had seen what Hedwig had done to the floor and sink of Casey’s bathroom...and to himself.
Casey inhaled a deep breath, “Hedwig, are you okay?”
Hedwig nodded feebily, “I’m sorry I threw up all over your bathroom, Casey,”
Casey shook her head, “Don’t apologize, it’s okay Hedwig,”
“I think all that pizza made him sick,” Joseph said, walking away.
“Hey, Joey can you get me the-,”
“-Mop? Yeah I was about to-,” Joseph said.
Casey tip-toed around the vomit, “C’mon, Heggie, let’s go sit down...after you clean your face,”
Hedwig cleaned the vomit from his face as Casey tip-toed back outside. He half smiled at what he had thought to be a clever trick.
Hedwig, making yourself throw up isn’t really that clever
Hedwig shrugged Kevin off. He’d accomplished his goal, Joseph would have to stay now. His best-friend was sick. How could he leave? Hedwig finished cleaning himself up and walked out side.
In the kitchen area he could hear Joseph and Casey whispering to one another.
“-Let me take him in-,”
“-You’re gonna be alone with him?”
“Better we’re split up, so Staple-,”
Hedwig’s arms prickled with goosebumps. Staple.
Yeah, he remembered that lady. She was nice enough, but still really creepy. He didn’t like being around her too long. The way she acted in front of other people reminded him a lot of Kevin’s mom.
Hedwig’s stomach dropped.
Heggie, don’t she’s dead-.
-Kevin Wendell Crumb
-Heggie...stop, stop. Penelope can’t hurt-
Hedwig tried to inhale a deep breath. He thought about something else, anything else. He thought about The Beast then. The powerful Beast inside him, the one who lied waiting. His protector…
“Hedwig?” Casey asked, walking up to him.
“Bud, you don’t look so good. Go sit down,” Joseph said, leading Hedwig to the couch.
Hedwig once again, feigned sickness and sat on the couch with Joseph.
The older man made a face as he looked his younger friend in the eyes.
Do they know?
No, you’re just looking at Joseph. Stop it-,
Hedwig’s eyes dropped to the floor.
Joseph placed his hand on his friend’s head and then neck. “Kid, you’re burning up,”
“You have a headache?” Asked Casey.
Hedwig shook his head, “No, my stomach just hurts...Really bad,”
Joseph made a face at Casey, “Sounds like it could be food poisoning or a stomach bug,”
Sympathetically, Casey placed a hand on Hedwig’s back and rubbed soothingly. “Well, no more pizza for you buddy,” Casey joked.
Weakly, Hedwig smiled back at Casey. Sighing, he flopped down on the couch. “I think I need to lay down,”
“I’ll get you a bucket,” Joseph said, “Don’t wanna be scraping vomit off the floor,”
Casey snorted in response as she headed to clean the mess in the bathroom.
“Well, what are we gonna do now?” asked Joseph.
“What do you mean,” Casey asked.
“C’mon, Case, I can’t leave you alone with Kevin now,”
Casey shrugged, “Why not? He’s got food poisoning...or the stomach flu. Not cancer or something,”
Joseph sighed, “I’m being dumb, aren’t I?”
Casey smirked, “Yeah, a little,”
Joseph chuffed and handed her the mopping bucket, “Okay, so you’re totally cool with him staying with you and being sick and stuff?”
Casey nodded as she drew the mop through the mess on the floor. “It’s fine. Go home, Joseph. Check on the store and stuff. Plus I’m gonna need my electronics. You know my phone, my laptop…,”
Joseph nodded, “Right, right...long drive,” He mumbled, “I should probably leave tonight,”
Casey smirked again, “Hey don’t be too sad, I’ll keep your girlfriend company while you’re away,”
Joseph scoffed loudly as he tripped over his words, “I’m not- she’s not- dude- what...Ha- I mean, like, what?”
Casey rolled her eyes and rinsed her mop in the bucket, “Joey-,”
“-She’s like, I dunno I just met her. I mean she’s pretty but-,”
Casey smiled wide, “Oh she’s pretty, huh? I thought I was pretty?”
“You are. You’re like one of the prettiest girls I know,” Joseph said.
“I’m one of the only girls you know,” Casey corrected.
“Okay, yeah, that’s right,”
Casey rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “You should ask her out now that you’re a super hero,”
“She could be my Lois Lane,”
Casey raised an eyebrow, “If you got a new Damsel in Distress, what does that make me?”
“I always saw you more as a Wonder Woman,”
“Charmed, Joseph,”
“I’m sure-,”
Casey rinsed her mop one more time and gave the floor a final pass. When she deemed the vomit to be mostly absorbed, she disposed of the dirty water, rinsed out the mop, and prepared a solution for disinfecting the floor.
“Hey so, you think I should ask her out?” Joseph asked after some thought.
Casey shrugged, “You like her?”
“I mean, yeah, as much as someone who just met another someone a day ago could,”
“Then ask her out,” Casey said.
“I was just...I wanted to be sure,”
Casey looked her friend squarely in the face, “Joey...are you asking my permission?”
“Like...yes. Okay. You’re my friend, I value your opinion...I want to know if you’d be okay if-,”
“-If you started going out with my neighbor,” Casey shot him a half grin, “It shouldn’t matter what I think,”
“It does though, you’re my friend. I want you to feel comfortable around me, you know?”
“No I don’t ‘know’. Look, it’s your life, you date who you want. You do what you want. As long as you’re not hurting people I don’t care-,”
Joseph made a face, the easy-going energy he emitted slowly dissipated and Casey felt the energy of the room shift. “What do you mean you don’t care?” Joseph asked, pointedly. Casey felt the muscles in her stomach and back tighten at his tone.
“Joseph, not like that-,” Casey back-tracked, knowing where the conversation was heading.
“-No, no, I know how you meant it. What I’m asking is what do you mean you don’t care about choices I make?” Joseph questioned.
Casey slapped the mop down on the floor and began to swab at her bathroom tile, “I’m just saying that I’m not you. So even if the choice doesn’t make sense to me, I’m going to let you make it because you want it,”
“What even if it’s a bad one?”
“Well...no I’d say something, but it’s got to be obviously bad-,”
“What’s your definition of bad?”
“God, Joseph why are we arguing about stupid stuff. Again?” Casey huffed.
“Because you just said you didn’t care what I do, that’s basically saying you don’t care about me-,”
“-I said I don’t care about the choices you make, not that I don’t care about you,”
“How is that not the same? If I start to shoot up heroin tomorrow you’re just say ‘Cool Joey, you do what makes you happy’?”
“Well maybe I don’t feel the need to put my two cents into everything you do, Joseph,” Casey stated, “Some things are out of my control and I accept that-,”
“Really? Okay, then let Kevin out on his own,”
“Here we go again,” Casey mumbled under her breath.
“Yeah here we go, again. Do you realize how little sense you make? ‘Kevin’s his own person, Joey. Kevin can’t be on his own, but he should also be independent. I can’t handle him on my own, but I don’t want your help’,” Joseph mocked in a shrill falsetto voice.
It was Casey’s turn to scoff at Joseph and she did so the most disgusting way she knew. “Yeah you are a fucking superhero, Joey,” she said, coldly. “Suits you. You know better than the rest of us, as always,”
“I don’t know better, Case-,”
“-Then why are you acting like the weight of the world needs to rest on your shoulders? Who cares what I do with my life-?”
“-Why do you act like the weight doesn’t need to rest on yours? You can’t just ‘play’ hero. It’s a full-time gig-,”
“When I have ever done that?”
“Uh, hello, you got a fugitive sleeping on your couch,” Joseph said, jerking his thumb in the direction of Kevin. “And yet you’re giving me shit constantly for helping people out-,”
“-So it’s my fault I wanted to help out someone,”
“No. It’s your fault you only wanted to help him,”
“What are you talking about?”
“This, all this! You never did that for me. Not in the whole five years we’ve known each other have you ever done anything like this for me,”
Casey’s brow scrunched up, “Joseph, what are you-,”
“When my dad died I had nobody. I had my dad’s shop and an empty house. My dad was murdered, right in front of me and I couldn’t do anything about it. But the whole time, everyone told me to be thankful because at least I wasn’t you. At least I wasn’t abused all my life and put through what you had been. And you know what? I listened to them and I still do. So I tried to be positive, Casey. I tried to remind myself that there were way worse things out there-,” Joseph said.
Casey had stopped mopping entirely, she crossed her arms as she waited for Joseph to continue. “I saw you at the support group and I knew I needed to reach out to you, because-,” Joseph continued.
“-Because what? You pitied me?” Casey asked, “You saw some abused girl and thought, ‘hey my life sucks but at least I’m not her’?”
Joseph’s mouth set in a hard line, “I reached out to you because I knew you were hurting just as much as I was. And I thought that if I couldn’t make myself feel better, maybe I could make someone else feel better. Maybe if I couldn’t be a superhero like my dad, I could help people another way. And now here we are five years later and I feel like I’ve given so much to this friendship and I’ve gotten nothing back,”
“So you feel like I owe you?” Casey queried. “Is that is?”
Joseph shook his head, “You did all this for him. You’re risking your life and future for him. Why? What about this guy who you’ve known for less than a few weeks total makes you want to stick your neck out for him? Why wouldn’t you do the same thing for me?”
Casey’s face twisted into something that nestled in the middle of disgust and awe, “Are you for real right now?”
“Yes. Casey if it came down to it and you needed to save one of us, who would you pick? We both know the answer, but I want you to say it,”
Casey shook her head, “I’m done talking about this. Come back when you don’t have stupid stuff to say, alright?”
Casey turned her back to Joseph and finished mopping the bathroom. She had heard his heavy footsteps pad down the hall. When she was finished, she placed her cleaning supplies back where they belonged. She searched the apartment for Joseph and when she had found him nowhere, she settled on the couch with Hedwig.
The young boy was fast asleep, most likely tired from the vomiting. Casey had felt drained as well and lolled her head back on the couch cushions.
Joseph had trudged down the hall of the apartment building and headed towards the garages.
His hands had begun to burn once again and he knew that meant his powers were returning. He’d be capable of bending the whole building in half if he wanted, but he wouldn’t. The more noble side of his brain would like to attribute it to being a ‘bad’ thing to do. But the realistic side of him just knew it would be more trouble than it was worth.
His hands began to throb as he walked to the elevators. They pulsated painfully as Joseph continued. He shook them in an attempt to alleviate the pain, but it hadn’t done much to quell the sensation. By the time he at arrived at the bay of elevators, his hands felt as if they were going to fall off.
Joseph looked down at them to inspect them for the cause of the pain. But he found nothing. His hands had looked as normal as they had been before the hurt has started. Joseph clenched his fist and felt a shock jolt up his arm. He drew his hands close to his body and grunted, trying to stifle the pain surging through his arm.
Joseph felt the fear kicking in. Timidly, he reached a shaking hand out towards the elevator buttons. Joseph touched the cool surface of the button and closed his eyes as another wave of pain washed over him. Joseph leaned into the button when the signaling of the elevator hadn’t sounded off.
He opened his eyes and looked down at the floor. Pieces of dry-wall debris and plastic and metal chunks had sprinkled the floor. Confused, Joseph looked up at his hand. Elbow deep in the wall, Joseph was equal measured shocked and embarrassed. He withdrew his hand awkwardly and looked around.
Joseph had decided to take the stairs.
When Kevin woke from his stupor, he’d spent a moment to take in the sights and smells of Casey’s apartment. The cleaning product from the bathroom wafted into his nose, turning his stomach.
He had remembered Penelope’s favored method of punishment was rubbing him raw with Pine-Sol or bleach to ‘clean’ him after he’d messed something up. He hadn’t been able to handle the stuff since he was nine. Even looking at their bottles-innocuous, plastic-had inspired fear in him.
Kevin sat up on the couch and inhaled another breath. He smelled another scent, this time it was something edible...Rather, it was imitating something edible. There was an undertone of burning wood and paper that made him deduct it was a scented candle.
Wait...where was he?
Curious, Kevin swung his legs over the edge of the couch and looked around. It was then Kevin realized he was in control. His eyes widened in surprise. He looked down at his hands, as if he hadn’t believed he was piloting his body.
Where had Hedwig gone? He was supposed to be holding the seat for as long as he could. If the others had found Kevin-.
“Hedwig?” asked Casey from somewhere in the apartment.
Kevin pitched his voice up as high as he could, “Yes?” he asked in a shaky voice.
Casey had laughed-short, humorless- and emerged from her bedroom. She gave ‘Hedwig’ a once over and twisted her mouth into small dot, “Nice try,”
Kevin saw no need to continue the charade, “Sorry, Case,”
“Kevin?” Casey asked wearily. She approached him slowly, taking in his presence. “Kevin, what are you doing?”
“Well, I was trying to get the kid to do me a favor...where’s Joey?”
Casey made a face, “He’s gone...”.
Kevin sighed, trying not to be rattled, “Is everything okay?”
“No,” Casey said as she joined Kevin on the couch, “No, everything is...everything is awful,”
Hesitantly, Kevin reached a hand out and placed it securely on Casey’s back. “Talk,” he suggested.
Casey shook her head, “I just...I want to help, I do. But I can’t help people like Joseph can. I thought I could back in high school. It just doesn’t feel like enough,”
Kevin grinned wryly and elbowed her, “You helped me. That’s at least twenty-six people,”
Casey rolled her eyes at him yet smiled fondly. She returned his gesture of affection and rested her head on his shoulder, “Kevin you can’t leave. Staple, she’ll find you and Joey and me. She’ll kill us or worse,”
Kevin lifted Casey’s chin so that she would look him in the eyes, “Casey, you don’t know that,”
“But-,"
Kevin shushed her and continued, “We are stronger than you could know. I promise you that. There was a time where I needed you and that time is gone. I’m ready to face me now, all of me,” Kevin affirmed. “You’re like them to me, Casey. You’re part of the group. You were there for a time to protect me and now I need to out grow you.”
Casey looked at Kevin straight on now, she held his hand as he spoke. “Dr. Fletcher mentioned once I should try reintegrating. I think that’s what I wanna do. It’s time Kevin Wendell Crumb goes back to being Kevin Wendell Crumb...bumps, bruises, scars, and all,”
Casey nodded solemnly as Kevin held her hands tighter. “I’m so grateful you were here,” Kevin said. “I really needed you. But now it’s time to let me go,”
“Kevin-,”
Kevin gently cupped Casey’s face in his and held his thumb gently over her lips, “Casey it’s time for you to reintergrate too,"
Joseph stumbled through the parking garage, his head felt as heavy as rock. His fists felt as if they were soaking in boiling water. Once or twice, the pain had subsided only to return again with righteous anger.
Joseph was barely able to contain the groans of pain as he searched the underground parking structure for his car. The fluorescent lights and cavernous layout had become disorienting the longer Joseph traversed through the place.
It was the pain. The pain was beginning to blind him, disorient him.
Find the car, find the car…
Joseph fought back the agony just long enough to look at a sign. He knew from there that his truck wasn’t far, if he could get to the truck he’d be fine.
He walked faster now, with purpose. His feet carried him even when his mind refused to acknowledge it.
An oncoming car had caught him in it’s headlights and narrowly missed him. The driver honked and yelled curses at him, but Joseph had barely registered the other person. His body knew one goal, one thing alone. Get. To. The car.
After what seemed like hours, the familiar silver silhouette of his pick-up truck had beckoned him. Joseph stumbled onto it, drawing relief from it’s very presence.
His hands shook and twitched as he fished his keys from his pocket.
Once, twice, Joseph’s trembling fingers had missed the unlock button on his keys. He grunted out of frustration and pain as he tried again. The keys had jumped from his hand on that third try, clattering to the ground.
Joseph allowed himself a ‘fuck’ and got to his knees to pick up the keys.
“Do you need help, young man?”
Joseph turned.
Staple looked down on him with a placid expression. Joseph glared, but the pain was seeping into his very core now making it difficult to stand up against her.
“What do you want?”
“Kevin, but admittedly, a little more now,” Staple said.
Joseph looked around. A black SUV had pulled up in an empty parking space just down the line. Another had blocked off an entrance. Another was creeping into view, just behind Staple.
“How did you find me?” Joseph asked.
“Not hard to find at all with your face being on tv...But I had a little extra help,”
From a black SUV behind Staple, a woman emerged.
At first, Joseph couldn’t recognize the gait or the posture of the person. But the realization dawned on him as the woman fully exited the vehicle. Lindy Price smiled sadly at Joseph. “Hey Mr. Dunn,"
“What-,”
“-We can talk about all your questions in a minute, Joseph. First off, why don’t we do something about your situation,” Staple cut in.
“D-don’t come any closer,” Joseph warned, his voice quivering as the agony swept through him once more.
“You must be in excruciating pain, Joseph. The body can only handle so much before it gives out on you. A great scientist once said that energy cannot be-,”
“Shut up,” Joseph snapped, “Shut up, I am so tired of talking,” he hissed.
Staple smirked, “Keep this up and you’re going to go into cardiac arrest. You’ll die Joseph. Not only that, it’ll hurt the whole time it takes you to die,”
For a moment, he let Staple’s words sink in, “What do I do to stop the hurting,”
“Let it out,”
“I can’t...I’ll hurt someone,”
“Last time I checked, you’re a superhero now. Doesn’t that give you a free pass to hurt a lot of people,”
Joseph looked up at her but just as quickly averted his eyes. Somehow, his body had rose from the ground. His car keys and truck be damned.
Joseph stumbled into the open streets of Pittsburgh with a new goal in mind.
Staple watched him go, a pleasant smile graced her lips.
A man in a navy-blue suit had exited another SUV and looked to Staple, “Dr., do you want us to go after him?”
“Have a few people follow him, Marcus. Don’t engage unless he engages you. He’ll sort himself out,”
“Yes ma’am,”
Marcus made a gesture and rounded up a two SUVs. Within minutes they were following Joseph out of the parking garage.
Staple then turned to Lindy Price. “So Ms. Price, where are the other two,”
Lindy inhaled a long, deep breath and reluctantly pointed up at the apartments above.